Atmospheric engine



(No Model.)

I. M. WIDERMAN.

ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE.

120,439,222. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

3T7", Mn

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS M. WIDERMAN, OF GEORGETOWN, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 439,222, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed February 7, 1890. Serial No. 339,537. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. WIDERMAN, of Georgetown, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Atmospheric Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in double-acting atmospheric and gas engines, the object being to provide an engine of such construction that atmospheric pressure will be utilized to actuate it by means of creating a vacuum or partial vacuum on the inner surfaces of the pistons alternately.

With this object in view my invention consists in a pair of cylinders located side by side, and valve mechanism for closing the upper ends of the cylinders air-tigh t, in combination with pistons in each cylinder, and means for automatically discharging suitable inflammable substance upon these pistons and igniting it at proper intervals to the end that the oxygen is consumed and a vacuum created upon the inner surface of the pistonheads, so that air-pressure is removed from this side and the pistons operated by the atmospheric pressure on the outer surfaces of the pistons.

It further consists in reversing mechanism and in certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view; and Fig. 2 is a section on line a; w of Fig. 1, taken at right angles to section shown in Fig. 1.

A A represent a pair of cylinders located side by side and similar to each other in construction, and for this reason the description will be largely confined to one cylinder and its piston-valves and various connected mechanism, as it will be understood that this description applies to both, and that the same letters and numerals refer to counterparts on the two sides of the engine. The cylinders are open at the top and provided with a rim 1, which has an annular groove or recess 2 therein, constituting a seat for a valve.

represents this valve, it consisting, preferably, of two parts 3 and 4, secured together at the outer edgesby screws or similar means 5 5. The plate 4, which comprises the lower part of this valve, is provided with an annular lip or flange 6, adapted to fit in the annular groove or recess 2, to form an air-tightjoint when the valve is closed. The other portion 3 of this valve is mounted loosely on the valve-rodor stem 7, and an air-space 8 is formed between them. lVithin the latter a smaller valve 0 is located, it being secured on the lower end of the rod or stem 7. This valve is provided with an annular lip or flange 10, similar to lip 6 of valve B, and said lip is adapted to enter a groove or recess 11 similar to recess 2, to form an air-tight joint, the function of this valve being to close the opening 12 in the center of plate 4 of valve B. The air-space 8 between the two parts of valve Bis of sufficient size to admit of the valve O opening and closing therein, and to keep the latter normally closed, and yet allow this valve to open first when the rod 7 is raised, a spiral spring 13 is fitted in a recess 14 formed for it back of valve 0.

It will be observed that after the formation of a vacuum by the means hereinafter described it would be somewhat difficult to elevate bodily the valve B, owing to the pressure on the outside of same. To overcome this difficulty, I provide two valves, oneconsiderably smaller than the other. The rod 7 passes 8 5 loosely through the valve 13 and carries the smaller valve O, and when rod 7 is elevated it first elevates the smaller valve and permits air which has entered chamber 8 around rod 7 or entered through openings made for that 0 purpose to enter the interior of the cylinder. By thus destroying the vacuum the elevation of the larger valve now becomes an easy matter, and as the smaller valve continues to rise it carries with it the larger valve.

The piston 15 is fitted in the usual manner within the cylinder, and while it may be a plainpiston it is preferably hollow and in the shape of a cylinder, with either an open or closed top. The entire lower portion of the I00 piston is incased in a flexible accordion or bellows;like case 16, made of rubber or similar material, with tubes 17 formed in its outer creases. The upper end of this flexible envelope or case is secured to the lower end of the cylinder and the lower end is secured to a cross-head l8, and the latter is provided with diametrically-opposite notches 19 19, which receive the guideways 2O 20, upon which the cross-head reciprocates. The object of the flexible envelope is to hold a supply of cold water, which not only keeps the wall of the hollow cylindrical piston cool, but also keeps cool the wall of the cylinder in which the piston-head reciprocates, for as the piston rises the case closes from the bottom upward and the water follows upward with the motion of the piston. The piston, or more accurately speaking, the'cross-head, is connected with the crank 21 of the rotary shaft 22. In this connection it maybe mentioned that the two cranks with which the pitmen are connected extend opposite each other, and on one end of this shaft a fly-wheel 23 is keyed or otherwise secured.

The piston is provided at-its upper end with an inwardly-projecting tongue 24: in position to strike a valve 25, arranged above it, when the piston reaches its extreme upward throw to cause a discharge of inflammable fluid such as gasolineupon the piston. A jet 26 between the two cylinders is kept burning all the time, and when the discharged fluid is exposed to this jet by the opening of the valve B the fluid is ignited. As the valve B does not close until the piston has descended to or nearly to its lowest extreme, the burning of this fluid drives out the oxygen, and the valve B is closed, consumes the remaining oxygen in the cylinder above the piston, creating a vacuum, or as nearly as it is possible to create a vacuum, and the piston is immediately raised again by the atmospheric pressure from beneath, and so the operation continues, the two pistons reciprocating alternately and by their connection with the shaft imparting a continuous rotary motion to the latter. In this connection it is important to observe that the cylinders are made slightly longer than the throw of the pistons, in order to provide space for the extremely rarefied air which always remains short of the creation of a socalled vacuum or a perfect vacuum.

The valves B and C are operated automati cally by means of the following mechanism, namely: A rocking beam 28 is pivotally supported between the lugs 29 29 in the center of the head 30 of the engine, and the ends of this arm are connected by a loose joint 31 with the valve rods or stems 7, and this arm is provided with a V-shaped recess 32 at its center. A weighted bar 33 is pivotally supported on the bearing-pintle which supports the rocking beam, and the weighted bar is adapted to swing to and fro within the V- shaped recess, so that the beam is tilted one way or the other by the 'motion of this swinging bar. Bell-crank levers are fulcrumed on the head 30 and links 34 34 extend from their upper ends to the swinging bar, to which they are both pivotally secured at the same point,

and from the opposite ends of these bell-crank levers rods 35 35 extend downward to points below the cross-heads of the piston-heads, where they are bent around the guideways 20 20 in position to be struck by the crosshcads.

The operation of the engine may be ex- 'plained in a few words: Supposing the parts to be in the positions shown, one piston-head is raised and the other lowered, and one valve B is raised and the other closed. Gasoline is discharged onto the upper piston-head by the tongue 24 thereon striking the valve 25 of the fluid-discharge pipe. The fluid thus discharged becomes' ignited at once by the jet from ejector 26, and the cross-head by striking the lower end of the rod 35 on that side rocks its connected bellcrank lever and swings the weighted bar 33 over in the V- shaped recess 32. This causes the beam 28 to swing by gravity in that direction and close valve B on that side. The flame caused by the burning of the gasoline within the now air-tight cylinder consumes the oxygen and forms as nearly as possible a perfect vacuum, so that the atmospheric pressure from below immediately forces the piston up again, and the other piston descends in the same manner that the one described did. To retrace a step, when one valve B is closed the other valve B is opened, the two being operated simultaneously by the same mechanism, and first in order to let air into the air-space 8 and beneath the valve B, so that it maybe easily lifted, the smaller valve 0 is first raised as far as the space 8 will permit. This is accomplished by the first part of the stroke. Then the valve B follows, as previously described. In this way the engine is operated continuously, one side and then the other, as long as motion is desired.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a cylinder open at one end, a shaft, and a piston working in the cylinder and connected to the shaft, of a double valve for closing the open end of the cylinder, an ignitor for discharging a jet into the cylinder below the valve when the latter is open, and mechanism for automatically opening and closing the valve, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a cylinder having an open end, a shaft, and a piston working in the cylinder and connected to the shaft, of a fluid-discharge pipe leading into the cylinder, a double valve for closing the open end of the cylinder, an ignitor for igniting the fluid discharged from the fluid-pipe, and means for automatically opening and closing the valve, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a pair of cylinders and piston fitted within the cylinders, of cross-heads connected with the piston-heads and an accordion or bellows-like case secured at one end to the cylinder and at the other end to the cross-head, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a pair of cylinders and cylindrical pistons fitted therein, of cross-heads connected with the piston and an accordion or bellows-like case secured to the lower ends of the cylinders and to the crossheads and adapted to hold water in contact with the cylindrical portion of the piston and the inside walls of the cylinders when the pistons are raised, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a pair of cylinders having open tops and valves for closing said tops, of cylindrical pistons fitted within the cylinders and having flexible cases surrounding them, said cases adapted to hold water to keep the walls of the cylindrical pistons and the cylinders cool, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a cylinder having an open top, of a double valve or valve within a valve for closing the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination,with a cylinder having an open end, of a valve composed of two parts adapted to fit over this open end, and a valve within said larger valve, substantially as set forth. 7

8. The combination, with a cylinder having an open top and annular groove or recess around its edge, of a valve composed of two parts secured together with an air-space between them, one of said parts having an annular lip adapted to fit in the annular recess,

said part also having an annular groove or recess formed around an open center, and a smaller valve located in the air-space and having an annular lip adapted to enter the annular groove or recess around the open center of the main valve, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with a pair of cy1inders having open tops, valves adapted to close said open ends, and pistons fitted inside the cylinders, of a rocking beam connected loosely with the valve-rods, a weighted bar pivoted within the rocking beam, bell-crank levers connected with said weighted bar, and rods extending from these levers in position to be struck by the pistons, substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with a pair of cylinders having open tops, valves adapted to close the openings, pistons fitted in the cylinders, cross-heads connected with the pistons, guiderods, a double crank-shaft,pitmen connected with the cranks and cross-head, and means for discharging a combustible liquid on the pistons and igniting this liquid, of a rocking beam having a V-shaped recess therein, a weighted bar pivoted in the V-shaped recess and on the fulcrum of the beam, bell-crank levers, links connecting the latter with the weighted bar, and rods extending from the levers and having their lower ends cut around the outer guide-rods in position 0 be struck by the cross-heads, whereby the valves are operated, substantially as set forth *2- In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS M. WIDERMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAs. R. SoHUrr, LEVIN S. FREY. 

